Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.) 'I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.A L. S. DENISON.

CARPET STRETGHBR.

110.431,182. Patented July 1 1890'.

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(No Model.)

Patented July 1, 1890.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Linus s. DENIsoN, oF PENZA, oHIo.

CARPET-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,182, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed November '7, 1889. Serial No. 329,466. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINUS S. DENIsON,-a citizen of the United States, residing at Penza, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carpet-stretchers of that class which are provided with mechanism for driving tacks; and it has for its object to construct a device of this class which vshall be simple, durable, and effective, and

by means of which a forcible and effective blow may be delivered directly upon the head of the tack, which may thus be driven completely by a single blow. l

The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved conibined carpet-stretcher and tack-driver. Fig. 2 is a front view, on a larger scale, of the lower portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4. is a vertical sectional view taken on the line @c in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the lower end of the tack-feeding tube and feeding mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5 in a different position. Fig. 7 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of the lower end of the device, showing a tack in position to be l of which they are attached to the lower end A of the handle l..

8 designates a sleeve cr tubular bearing which is formed above the head 5, and which affords a bearing for the lower end of the vertically sliding or reciprocating Iod 3. The front and rear sides of the sleeve or bearing 8 are provided with laterally-extending lugs 9, between which are pivoted links 10, to the lower ends of which are pivotally connected the clamps l1, which serve to hold the tacksin position for driving. The said clamping heads or jaws are provided on their inner sides with tapering grooves 12,adapted to receive and hold the tack in such a manner as to permit the point of the same to project slightly beyond the lower ends of the clamping jaws. The latter are held together in position for operation by means of an annular band 13, of rubber or other suitable elastic material, which shall permit the jaws to separate for the escape of the head of the tack when the latter is driven.

The parts described in the foregoing are so proportioned with regard to size and location that the lower ends of the clamping-jaws shall be normally slightly above the level of the extreme outer ends of the points 7, in order to permit the latter to engage the carpet securely, but without danger Of tearing or inj uring the same. rod 3 should, when at the extreme limit of its downward stroke, be permitted tov project slightly below the points of the teeth 7.

To the front side of the rod or handle 1 is secured the tack-guide 13, which is constructed of a strip of sheet metal, the edges of which are bent so as to form iianges 14, between which a groove 15 is left open to receive the tack. The lower end of the tackguide is bent or curved rearward, as shown at 16, and terminates in a downward-extending tube 17, in which the lower end of the rod 3 has a bearing. The tube 17 is provided at its upper front end with a slot 18, having forwardly-extending lianges 19, which serve to guide the point of the tack into the lower end of the said tube.

The tack-feeding tube or guide 13l is provided with a laterally-extending bracket 20, upon the upper side of which is pivotally mounted a disk 2l,provided at its edge which projects over the groove 15 in the tack-guide 13 with a notch 22. The opposite side of the The longitudinally-sliding IOO disk 21 yis provided with perforations 23 2li, the upper one of which 23 is connected with the lower end of the coiled spring 25, the upper end of which is attached at 26 to the handle 1 by means of a pin or stud. The lower perforation 24 is connected by a pivoted 'rod 27 with a latch-plate 28, which-is pivotally connected to one of the arms or brackets 6 of the head 5 of the carpet-stretcher. Thelatchplate 28, which is normally in an inclined or beveled position, is located in the path of the vertically-reciprocatingrod 8, and it normally presses or bears against the side of the latter, being held in contact therewith by thetension of the coiled spring 25. It will be seen that when the reciprocating rod 3 is moved in an kupward direction and out of contact with the latch-plate 28 the tension of the coiled spring 25 causes the disk 21 to oscillate upon its pivot, thus moving the notch 22 in a downward direction across the groove 15 of the tack-guide 13. If the latter hasbeen previously filled with tacks, the lowermost tack will be carried by thenotch 22 past the disk 2l, and be allowed to escape into the tube at the lower end of the tack-guide, which extends down into the tubular sleeve or bearing 8, thus conducting the .tack through the latter and down between the clamping-jaws 11, between the lower ends of which the point of the tack will thus be caused to project. The remainder of the tacks will meanwhile remain supported against the periphery of the disk 21. When the reciprocating rod 3 is lowered or forced in a downward direction for the purpose of driving the tack-which i-s held between the clamping-jaws, it engages the pivoted latch-plate 28, thereby causing the disk 21 to be restored to its normal position, with the notch 22 facing in an upward direction and ready to receive the next tack.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation will be readily understood.

The device herein described is exceedingly simple in its construction, and may be manufactured at a slight expense, and by means thereof the carpet may be stretched and held securely while the tacks are being driven one by one in the desired places.

The escapement device, by means of which the tacks are fed one by one to the hammer, and which consists mainly of the pivoted notch or disk 21 and the latch-plate 28 in connection with the coiled spring and the connecting-rod, is exceedingly simple in construction, and will be found to operate with almost absolute certainty. The vertically-reciprocating rod 3, which extends through the entire length of the handle 1, serves as a hammer, and will deliver a direct and forcible blow, whereby the tack which is securely held while being operated upon will be driven with ease and certainty into the hardest .The device may be operated by any person 4 llower ends of said links, `and an elastic band encircling the lower ends of the clampingjaws, substantially as set forth.

2. In a combined carpet-stretcher and tackdriver, the herein-described stretching-head,

provided with arms for its attachment to the lower end of a'rod or handle, a tubular bearing-sleeve for the reciprocatingy hammer or tack-driver, the clamping-j aws connected pivotally by means of links to the front and rear sides of said bearing-sleeve, and a tack-guide terminating at its lower end in the tube extending into the said bearing-sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the longitudinally-perforated handle, of the stretching-head having a tubular bearing-sleeve,the clamping-jaws pivoted to the latter-,an elastic band encircling said jaws, andthe tack-guide consisting of a grooved guide-strip curved at its lower end and terminating in a tube extending into the bearing-sleeve, and provided at its upper end with a slot and forwardlyextending anges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the tack-guide having the laterally-extending bracket, of the notch escapement-disk mounted pivotally upon said bracket, a coiled tension-spring connected with the said escapement-disk, and

. a pivoted latch-plate connected by va link or rod with the said escapement-disk at a point opposite to the said tension-spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the tack-guide having rearward-curved lower end terminating in a guide-tube, the reciprocating hammerrod, the tackclamping jaws, the pivoted notch escapement-disk, the coiled tension-spring, and a latch-plate located in the path of the reciprocating hammer-rod and connected by a link or rod with the pivoted escapementdisk, substantially as set forth.

t5. The combination of the longitudinallyperforated handle, the stretching-head secured to the lower end of the same and having la tubular bearing-sleeve provided with laterally-extending lugs, the links connected pivotally to the latter and having the pivoted clamping-jaws, the tack-guide terminating at its lower end in a guide-tube extending into the tubular bearing-sleeve, the pivoted notched escapement-disk, the coiled tension-spring, the latch-plate connected pivotally to one of IOO In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature 1o in presence of tWo Witnesses.

LINUS S. DENIISON.

Vitnesses:

C. G. DENISON, NATHANIEL MITCHELL. 

